Prey Complex
by Yuhi Sakura
Summary: The Aliens were only just the beginning. In fact, in defeating the serpents, they only made themselves look like the prey...
1. Chapter 1

_**Chapter One: Malicious Shadows**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Aliens/Predator Franchise**_

The imposing creature, clad in something similar to fishnet and a loincloth, grunted in mild interest as the film replayed before him. It had been a great disappointment to the entire hunting party when the hard-meats were defeated, and particularly by a group of soft meats.

Or so their original attitude had been: now, in reviewing the reels of electronic data that had been obtained during the incident, they realized they had much greater prey to stalk. Several of the soft-meats had proven themselves worthy of their attention…their undivided attention. The skull of one of them would rate many females…

It was an excellent opportunity for those just entering the initiation rites into adulthood. And it would serve to weed the weak from the strong…Yes…an excellent opportunity, indeed.

With a click of approval, his talon-tipped fingers danced across the small keyboard on his wrist.

* * *

Sakura shivered, her eyes snapping open automatically. Viridian orbs roved her room, searching the shadowy recesses for any sign of what might have jarred her so violently from her sleep. Her eyes found nothing, but she still felt a knot of anticipation in her stomach…it was the same feeling that gripped her stomach just before she entered battle.

She swallowed against her suddenly dry throat as she kicked off the stifling blanket. Something about it suddenly seemed…_restrictive. _Like she was being held captive…She stretched her legs out…

Her legs flexed almost against her will, and she leapt across the room just as an invisible set of blades rendered her bed into a filet of shredded down and cloth. She landed easily against the hardwood floor, rolling to put some distance between her and her attacker. She sprang up on her heel, her eyes narrowing.

There was nothing there…nothing that she could _see_…but instinct had just saved her, and her intuition was screaming at her that something was _there. _

As counterintuitive as it seemed, she allowed her eyelids to come back down. Her eyesight obviously wasn't doing her any good, and it might actually lull her into a false sense of security. Tendrils of chakra worked into her ears and danced across the surface of her skin.

She heard her wood floor creak, and she spun away from the vibration. She heard something embed itself in the wall that had, a fraction of a second ago, been at her back. Using the momentum she gained in her half-pirouette, she arched her back and fell into an effortless flip.

Her hand fell mechanically to her thigh, where the reassuring weight of a dagger pressed against the flesh. Her slender fingers wrapped around the hilt, and she pulled it free from its sheath.

Her senses suddenly went wild, adrenaline pumping hotly through her veins as the weight on the floor shifted again. Leaning back with mere millimeters to spare, she felt the air part as something that felt like a lance shot past her chest. She found her footing, spun, and released the dagger.

There was an unearthly, deep cry of rage and her eyes snapped open. She saw something distort near the window, and heard the crack of a tree branch just below her window as whatever it was retreated.

She crossed the room in the time it took an average person to blink and leaned out of the window, searching for some sign of her attacker, something to track. But she found nothing aside from the rent and destroyed tree branch that lay on the ground twenty feet below her.

She pulled back, taking a moment to catch her breath before she leaned down to retrieve her dagger. But as she did, she allowed the moonlight to pour back into her room…Her eyes fell to the lance embedded in her wall just inches from her; it was a weapon clearly meant to kill: viciously barbed, incredibly sharp, heavy but well-balanced…nearly identical to the one that had sheathed itself in her bedroom door across the room. She bent to retrieve her dagger only to have the silver light pour in over her shoulder.

Her fingers hovered hesitantly above the weapon now coated in a glowing green substance that she would only assume was blood…

* * *

Naruto groggily forced his eyes open and reached absently for the glass of water he kept by his bed. Even he, however, was quick to his feet when it suddenly exploded, showering him in liquid and glass shards.

"What the hell?" He cried as his eyes fell on the dagger that lay in line with where his midnight drink had been a fraction of a second earlier.

As with any shinobi, he followed the most logical path of the weapon, and his sharp blue eyes fell on a _moving_ distortion in the shadows of his room.

"Hey! Who the hell are you!" He demanded, pointing an accusing finger at the imposing figure.

Whatever it was, it cast the faintest shadow on the floor, and in that shadow he saw something like a hand…and something suddenly grow in the palm of that hand…

He barely managed a clumsy evasion that was really more a stumble to the left. The wood of his wall caved, a shimmering wave traveled down the spear now vibrating there…a cloaking jutsu of some kind, he thought as he pushed himself to his feet.

He was tripping over the trash that was ankle-deep as it was…he couldn't fight in these conditions! His eyes fell to the floor, and he smirked, blue eyes glittering as he scooped up a bowl.

Goodness only knew how old the broth in the bottom of it was, but it would suffice. Hell, he reasoned, it might even chase the guy off if it smelled bad enough! With a cry of victory, he hefted the bowl at the creature.

It contacted, spilling green-tinged pork broth over him. Naruto watched as the liquid disrupted whatever art the thing had going for him, thin waves of blue electricity shimmering and revealing it in sporadic pieces…it was huma_noid_…but something about the proportions wasn't right…And it wore an odd, metal mask…

It gave what sounded like a violent grunt of annoyance and advanced on him with greater intent.

His window shattered, a blur of indistinguishable color landing against the floor and snapping up. Silver flashed in the moonlight, and the creature fled through the destroyed window.

"WHO THE HELL ARE _YOU!_" Naruto cried.

"It's me." Sakura snapped in a tone of business that was almost frightening as she rose from her crouch.

"SAKURA! WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?"

"Saving you." She replied matter-of-factly.

"Oh…" Naruto replied, his eyes falling.

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, glancing back through the window. "I just had one of those _lovely _things in my room."

She continued to talk aloud, hoping maybe Naruto would interject with something useful that he had discovered during his skirmish. But when she turned back around, she found him literally drooling…and his eyes weren't on her face…She lashed out, striking him painfully in the back of the head.

"Would you get serious!" She hissed.

"What?" He cried, "You can't just barge into my room, go sexy warrior chick on me and expect me _not _to stare!"

Sakura gave a feminine snort of annoyance, but didn't reply.

"Look, I'm going to check on Sasuke. Stay here." She snapped as she turned on her heel and ducked back through the window.

* * *

"Interesting." Sasuke remarked as a shuriken, larger than even their basic fuuma, sank into the wall not more than half an inch from his face.

Chakra threaded into his eyes and a crimson fell dropped over their ebony hue. Three toma bled through the veil of scarlet. He immediately picked up on the full form of the creature, but he didn't have time to analyze it as another set of stars tore at him.

He rotated his wrist up and snapped it back down. The screech of metal on metal filled the air, and the three stars found their impetus stolen as they entrenched in his wall, headboard, and bathroom door.

He kicked off of his heel, leaping into the air and bringing the blade down over his head. The creature repeated his motion in reverse, carrying itself just outside of the range of his attack. The Uchiha was not to be deterred, however, and he spun, letting the katana flying from his hand.

It sank into the wall beside the shuriken, its edge covered in a film of what he knew has to be blood. The creature gave a cry of rage, and tapped something on its wrist. It shimmered in the moonlight again, and though the Uchiha could still make out its outline, he didn't press his advantage as it fled.

"Sasuke!"

His door burst open just as he retrieved his katana, and he quickly suppressed the murderous veneer of his eyes as Sakura locked eyes with him.

"I see I'm late." She sighed with mock self-depreciation and very real relief.

He grunted in reply as he cleaned his blade with a decisive flick of his wrist, letting the glowing green blood spatter across his floor.

She eliminated the distance between them in three smooth, feline strides. Her pale hand came to his cheek, and she glanced over him worriedly. "Are you okay?"

He smirked with his usual confidence, and even without the usual nod of his head, she felt relief wash over her.

And then his eyes fell and his eyebrow slanted up in a silent question. A silk chemise, a rather transparent one, at that, hemmed with lace and split up her thigh…

"What?" She asked defensively, "It's not like I had time to change."

"Still." He replied coolly.

"You know, some boyfriends are _happy_ when their girlfriends barge into their homes in sheer silk." She told him seriously.

He walked past her without a reply; this was part of their dynamic, of course. His silence frustrated her, and her frustration was just what he wanted. But it was all done in good nature.

Sakura followed after him, dancing lightly down the steps of his staircase behind him.

"I'm assuming you had to deal with one of those things, too." He stated.

"Wow, _Sherlock_." She sniffed, "But, in all seriousness, yes. About half an hour ago."

"And you're uninjured."

Sakura shrugged; it was a statement of fact. And one that she was pretty damn proud of.

"Well, I guess we should wake up Lady Tsunade…"She added, scratching nervously at the back of her head, "I really hope she hasn't had too much to drink tonight…"

* * *

Tsunade massaged her temple with her left hand, toying with a cup of black coffee in her right.

"I really don't have time to deal with _another _unidentified biological threat." She snorted as she motioned vaguely to the stacks of paperwork that were still being done on the serpents that had been taken care of less than three weeks earlier.

"Pardon _us _for being attacked in our sleep." Sasuke replied icily.

Sakura elbowed him sharply, "Shut up."

Tsunade's eyes flicked up sharply as she set down her cup and rested her head against the back of her hand. "As much as I hate to admit it, Uchiha, you have a point."

"But, it really is odd…" Sakura admitted, "And there were no other reports from last night?"

"None." Tsunade responded, "And with your description of the creature, I think if people had seen it they'd be beating down my office door."

"Maybe it was just some random rogue." Naruto suggested over a throaty yawn.

"Unlikely." Tsunade sniffed, throwing back the cup of coffee as if she had forgotten it wasn't sake. And the look of annoyance that flickered across her face before she composed herself seemed to attest to that. "Either way, I don't like the idea of you guys going home tonight."

"And where else would we go?" Sasuke asked in his usual monotone.

"Don't get an attitude with me, Uchiha," The Kage drawled, "I have Kakashi collecting a sample of that weird green stuff spattered across your bedrooms for analysis. Until we have a rudimentary picture of what's going on here, you guys will be staying the night with him."

"What?" Naruto cried, "We're not kids!"

Tsunade turned her hazel-gaze on Sakura as she spoke, "I'm well aware. But your maturity isn't the issue here, Naruto."

Sakura opened her mouth to protest, but her shishou's gaze was more than enough to silence her. As much as she hated to admit it, her Kage had a point. And there was a high probability that someone innocent could be caught in the crossfire if they didn't comply with her orders.

"Iruka is already getting your things for you." She added as she stared out through the window.

Sakura nodded, trying hard not to think about her former mentor and Academy teacher rummaging through her underwear drawer.

"Here you go." Tsunade added, absently tossing a small silver key at Sakura.

The kunoichi caught it easily, rose from her seat, bowed, and leapt through the window of the office.

Naruto shrugged and followed after with Sasuke not far behind.

* * *

"Goodness…" Sakura muttered as she flipped on the light in his living room.

His house really was a bit of a wreck; then again, when six days out of the week you were out of the village, it was probably difficult to care about the state of your house.

"Well…I'm awake now…" She shrugged as she stepped into the kitchen, located the dish soap, and began work on the mountain of dirty plates, bowls, and cups.

"You know, Sakura, this is a little weird." Naruto remarked as he sat down at the kitchen table adjacent to the sink.

"How so?" She asked as she scrubbed another plate.

"You're doing sensei's dishes in your underwear."

"Hey!" She cried back, "This is a _nightgown_. It's perfectly acceptable sleepwear."

"Suuuurrreee, Sakura." He smirked.

"Why don't you make yourself useful and clean the counters." She snapped back.

"Oh, don't be like that, Sakura!" He pouted.

She lobbed a sponge at him, followed shortly by a spray bottle of bleach. "Get to it."

"And what exactly are you three doing?"

Sakura turned her head over her shoulder, smiled, and replied, "Cleaning."

"I'm sure Kakashi will be thrilled." Pakkun grumbled.

"Do you need a biscuit?" Sakura asked playfully.

The ninken just growled as he appraised them.

"He is taking an awfully long time…" Sakura trailed off as she glanced at the clock. They had been in Tsunade's office for at least half an hour, and it had taken them fifteen minutes to get to his house.

There was a knock at the door, and Iruka's voice: "I've got your things."

"I'll get it." Sakura replied as she snapped off the gloves and left them on the edge of the now empty sink.

"Coming!" She chirped as she crossed the living room and opened the door.

No one was there…

Her question to the open air of "What on earth…" was interrupted when her ribcage was torn open.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2

_**Chapter Two: Intention Revealed**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Aliens/Predator Franchise. **_

Sakura contained her cry between her teeth as she leapt away, leaving a bloody parabola hanging in the air.

Sasuke materialized in front of her, his sword flashing silver under the fluorescent lights. His eyes bled crimson hatred as he stared down the cloaked figure before him. Sakura didn't even see him move, but she did see a wave of bright green fluid erupt from the fissure of seemingly thin air that his sword bisected. The thing shimmered into visibility as its opposing halves fell in opposite directions…

"How badly are you injured?" Sasuke demanded sharply as he sheathed the katana.

"I'll be fine." She replied, her hand clamped over the laceration in her side.

She stood up, wincing when the wound tore a bit at the motion.

"Kami…this thing isn't human…" She whispered as she examined its remains.

Her eyes fell quickly to its belt, where several bone ornaments hung…and she recognized one of them…It was a long skull with a massive dome that curved back and down…the teeth, glassy fangs, were still intact…

"This is…the skull of one of those serpents…" She trailed off.

Sasuke knelt down beside her. There were others, too…humans, things like bears that were native to the wilder portions of the Shinobi Nations…and several skulls he didn't recognize…

Sakura reached up and deftly tore away the metallic mask of the creature. Something similar to shock flickered across her features: massive mandibles, mottled green skin, spines running along its brow…Her viridian gaze drifted down to his talons, his bulky musculature…This was a creature that surpassed the average human on every physical scale…

Sasuke's eyes snapped back around to the other half and to the computer device on its wrist. It was inscribed with runes that he couldn't identify. He had to assume that was their native language. And they officially had voice-duplication technology. And even cloaking abilities, as their previous encounters had already proved.

"Sasuke…these skulls…aren't damaged…" Sakura suddenly stated.

He turned back and saw she was correct: the ridges, curves, indentures, all of the features of the calcium domes were completely intact. And there weren't any of the chips or divots that he would have expected from the trauma or forced use to kill the creatures. Additionally, they were worn around the creature's waist in a fashion similar to a shinobi flaunting their weapons collection.

"What do you think it means?" Sakura asked.

"They're hunters." Sasuke replied.

"You don't really think…"

His gaze confirmed the worst. She sighed, taking a deep breath as she rose. However, in doing so, she accidently brushed a vase. The ceramic ornament toppled onto the wrist panel of the creature.

Sakura couldn't contain her gasp of surprise as color and motion exploded around them. In the time it took her to blink, however, Sasuke had secured her in his arms.

Around them whirled something like a holographic video: it showed the strange creatures watching one of the spider-like serpent life-stages from behind a glass panel…the film fast forwarded to the hissing adult form leaping at one of them, and his subsequent victory over it…and then the film jumped to an image of Sasuke, Naruto, and herself…In the background, one of the creatures held up a spear that extended with a metallic click.

Just as quickly, the entire odd sequence died back to reveal the room…

There was zero doubt now…

They weren't the stalkers anymore…they were the stalked…

* * *

"Ow!" Sakura hissed as Kakashi swabbed antiseptic across the gash in her torso.

"You should be fine to heal it now." He replied as he tossed the soaked cotton ball away.

"Thanks." She replied a bit drily as she brought her glowing green palm to her wound.

"So...what now?" Naruto asked from the background.

"We fight." Sasuke replied.

"You're joking, right?" Naruto replied.

"He has a point, Naruto. If these creatures are as ritualistic as we believe they are, they won't give up until _you've _bested them." Kakashi responded.

"Why does this crap always happen to us?" The blonde whined.

"You should be flattered, Naruto. Initial analysis of those skulls attests to them all being large, dangerous, carnivorous creatures."

"And how is _that _a compliment?" The blonde replied drily.

"You caught their eyes. Considering what their usual prey appears to be, that's quite an accomplishment."

Sasuke, business as usual, turned to their mentor and asked, "Is that lab report back?"

Seemingly out of nowhere, Kakashi produced an impressive sheaf of papers. "You guys did indeed injure them, and thanks to those blood samples, we've been able to determine a few things about them."

"Such as?"

"These aren't creatures to be taken lightly: they seem to naturally produce about eighty times the amount of adrenaline than a sitting human would. They also seem to produce large amounts of something similar to testosterone. And based on the preliminaries of the corpse in my living room, they're highly intelligent creatures, as well. They're technology far surpasses ours."

Sakura smirked, "I'm sure Tsunade will find a way to upgrade."

Kakashi smiled back at her; it was true that Tsunade had every intention of dissecting their tech and using it to Konoha's advantage.

Sakura reached up and plucked the report out of his hand and began to read it over.

"Interesting." She mumbled.

"What is that?" Naruto asked.

"They naturally secrete a pheromone that's a trigger for aggression in the serpents…"

"And?" Naruto asked dumbly.

"And I think I have an idea. But it's going to take a while." The kunoichi replied.

She turned to Kakashi, "Can I borrow Pakkun?"

* * *

"Thanks again, Sensei." Sakura smiled as she clipped her boots into place.

"Seriously." Naruto agreed with a smile directed at Iruka.

"Not a problem." The chunin replied.

"Do you want me to take care of that for you?" He asked, watching as Sakura folded her torn and bloody chemise.

"No, thanks." The kunoichi responded as she tucked it away in her overnight bag.

Sasuke appeared in the door way, adjusting his shirt with his free hand as he strapped his katana down with her right.

"The sun should be up soon." Iruka remarked.

Sakura stopped cold in her track and turned her eyes to the East.

"Something the matter?" Sasuke asked coolly.

"Just…more people…" She trailed off.

"What do you mean?" Iruka asked.

"These things aren't shy about using force…And Konoha's population isn't just shinobi…"

Kakashi realized instantly what she meant: there were children, civilians, to consider. Could one of them be caught in the crossfire? The answer seemed to be a strong 'yes'.

"Look, I'm going to talk to Lady Tsunade-shishou. I'll catch you guys again soon."

She didn't wait for a reply as she hopped through Kakashi's open window and bounded upwards and out of sight.

* * *

The morning light was absolutely blinding. But there was something psychologically reassuring about the sun's rays pouring in over the horizon.

Below her, Sakura watched as children from the ages of eight to twelve scampered out for their schooling. Some of them were in a public school, or apprenticeships. But others, she knew, were on their way to the Academy.

She watched as one, a small and even sickly looking, boy trotted after his friends. She smiled; she knew what it was like to be the one…but she also knew he could overcome it.

Her smile, however, quickly dropped…as something shimmered next to him.

She was too far off…and her cry wouldn't reach him in time…the kunoichi's blood froze as the creature shimmered into visibility. The boy stopped, clearly afraid and frozen in place. However, the creature didn't even glance at him as it again faded and disappeared…

It was an incredibly jarring moment…the creature had no reason to spare the boy…and then the realization that it didn't have a reason _not _to struck her like a physical blow.

'He wasn't armed…he wasn't a threat…' She thought as she sank to her knees, relief washing across her.

A fraction of a second later, however, she was bounding towards the Hokage's Tower.

* * *

"This just gets more and more interesting." Tsunade replied to her relation of what had just happened.

"Lady Tsunade…I really don't think it's wise for us to stay in Konoha."

"Why not? According to your statement, they won't attack the unarmed."

"I'm not worried about a deliberate attack." Sakura replied.

"You're worried about someone getting caught in the crossfire." Tsunade stated coolly.

The kunoichi nodded, resting her head on her hand.

"You know that this will cut you off from any aid we could provide you." The Hokage continued.

"Can we call ourselves shinobi if our existence means more to us than the lives of those we protect?" Sakura replied.

Tsunade's lips turned up in an approving smile. "No, I don't suppose you couldn't."

"Did Shizune get my message?"

"She did. And she should have it ready any minute now."

"Great. As soon as I have it, we're leaving. Just until we have this problem cleaned up." Sakura replied.

"Are you sure about this? We have entire platoons ready to fight for you."

It was a tempting offer, but Sakura shook her head, "We're still reeling politically from the last invasion. I won't weaken our military forces for this."

"Well, if you insist." Tsunade replied as something akin to resignation flickered across her face.

"Don't worry, we'll be back." Sakura smiled as she stood up.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3

_**Chapter Three: In a Forest of Death**_

_**Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or the Aliens/Predator Franchise. **_

Sakura flipped herself onto a tree branch, taking a moment to survey their surroundings. So far, things were fine…it wasn't too quiet, and it wasn't too noisy (both would have been fair indications of danger), the weather was holding out for them…All and all, and all things considered, she was feeling better and better about their situation. With a decisive snort, she lightly threw herself from the tree and grasped another, swinging herself through the branches.

They hadn't traveled more than a quarter of a mile, however, when Naruto suddenly called out to them as he dove off to the left.

"Idiot." Sasuke hissed as he landed and kicked off in the opposite direction.

Sakura didn't reply as she reversed her course to keep up with them. She pushed through the thick canopy easily, landing lightly on the ground next to her comrades.

"What do you think it is?" Naruto asked, motioning to what initially appeared to be a massive vine wrapped around a tree.

"You mean was." Sasuke replied quickly as he eyed it.

Sakura's eyes adjusted to the darkness, and as she took a step forward, the hot smell of fresh blood struck her. And her ears picked up on the rhythmic drip of fluid against the dark soil.

"A giant centipede…" She muttered as her gaze drifted across it; it had obviously been skinned…

"Practice." Sasuke confirmed.

* * *

Sakura lifted the vial into her hand, testing its weight. There was something illogically reassuring about its mass in her palm. But she also knew that staking too much on the contents of that small glass tube would without a doubt prove fatal.

For a moment, she felt the slap of guilt; was she putting her comrades, her friend and her lover, at risk by not sharing it with them? Or was she doing them a favor by not giving it to them, by preventing them from being the ones to find it failed? She didn't know, and she didn't know which option she would rather choose.

* * *

Naruto landed beside the kunoichi, wiping sweat away from his forehead with the back of his hand. He was beginning to envy the open-shirt that Sasuke was so fond of wearing…

Sakura turned to say something to him when they suddenly scattered, flying off in three different directions as the snap of a net filled the air. The Uchiha landed first, casting his eyes sidelong to the net; metallic fibers bit into the tree and rendered it into neat diamond chunks before his eyes.

"Watch it!" Sakura cried as she slid along a tree branch, flexing her knees to leap over a trip line that very nearly caught around her feet.

"Too late!" Naruto snapped back in frustration as he found himself in a tangle of the wires.

A leaf drifted down onto the thread that had almost snagged Sakura…and she watched as the leaf was split cleanly in two. The lines around him quivered…

"Naruto! Move!" She cried.

"Wha…"

His question was cut short as Sasuke blurred into in behind him and caught him, yanking him through a gap in the threads just as they cinched closed.

"Sakura! Behind you!" Sasuke yelled as he jumped back with Naruto in his arms.

The kunoichi spun, narrowly managing to jack-knife at her waist in time to avoid a massive shuriken. She threw her weight to the right, landing hard against her side with less than an inch to spare as it slung back at her. Several inches of severed pink hair settled down around her.

'That was _way_ too close…' Sakura thought as she arched her back and planted her feet on the tree branch.

"I get the feeling we're surrounded." She told them as she pulled a kunai from the holster on her thigh. Naruto grumbled some irritable response back as he snapped a kunai in front of him. In the pale moonlight, the Kusanagi shone beside him.

Slowly, they pressed in, back-to-back. It was the only real defense they had now…

"What now?" Naruto asked sharply.

"We can't stand here all night." Sakura replied.

Seemingly as if on cue, the sharp twang of a wire being pulled taut filled the quiet nocturnal air.

"Move!" Sasuke cried as he pulled left.

Sakura spun, narrowly avoiding a viciously barbed needle. Naruto managed a clumsy deflection that echoed eerily between the trees.

"Where are they?" Sakura demanded as she came to a stop.

"I can't tell." Sasuke responded.

Sakura felt a chill shoot down her spine; had they managed to find a way to elude even the Sharingan? And if so…what hope did they really have? Or were they simply in the middle of a giant trap rig?

"Time to get out of here." Sasuke stated as his hands flew up, performing seals at a rate that was inhuman even by shinobi standards.

* * *

They clustered tightly beneath the raised roots of a massive tree. The forest was entirely too quiet, a sign that set all of them on edge. But worse was the tension that came from the knowing that they could do nothing until the creatures did. They were playing defensively…but it wasn't easy to win with that tactic…

"We really need a plan." Naruto stated.

"Obviously." Sasuke replied icily.

Sakura didn't bother breaking them up; it was better to let them relieve their nervous tension now. It would mean they were more decisive in battle.

"What if we split up?" She muttered.

"Are you crazy?" Naruto responded.

"Not yet, no." She replied, her gaze still on the millimeter gaps in the leaf litter and overgrowth around them that afforded her a glimpse beyond their perimeter. "Think about it: as a group, we provide a much stronger trail. More heat, scent, tracks, and movement to follow…but, alone…"

"You've finally gone off the deep end." Naruto sniffed.

"She has a point." Sasuke interjected coolly, "And, alone, we wouldn't have to worry about each other becoming the problem."

"What do you mean?"

"He means that we can't be used against each other…these things are smart…given half a chance they would make sure that you messed up in a bid to save one of us…"

That thought was especially painful for the kunoichi, who knew what it was like to be the one who was constantly saved but never saved anyone else. And it was made so much sharper by her vow: she was their equal, now. And she couldn't give herself that title, that honor, if she wasn't willing to risk it all for them, as they had for her countless times. As far as she was concerned, that was a scale eternally tipped in their favor, but she wouldn't add another count to it.

"I don't think there are that many left…It wouldn't be a hunt if they could overpower us by sheer force." She stated, "If we each take down one that should be enough to prove to the remaining that we're worthy of survival…These things are tribal creatures with an honor system very much like our own. If we can best them, they won't push their luck."

"You're assuming a lot, Sakura…" Naruto trailed off uneasily.

"Our assumptions have been right this far. And it's all we have." She replied. "Besides, it's too late to pretend that we're weak and hope they fall for it."

She waited for one of them to object, but neither of them said anything. In a way, that scared her…there was something much more frightening about being out there alone. No…no, that wasn't it, she realized…it wasn't being _out _there alone…it was _dying _out there alone…

Beside her, Naruto fidgeted uneasily. He wasn't worried about death, but loss…if one of them should die…they were the only family he had had in a very long time….He would have given his own life for them…but, if they split up, there would be no one to help them.

Three pairs of eyes, viridian, azure, and obsidian, met and danced across the seemingly impossible expanse of space and time between them. They had long accepted the fact that tomorrow might not come for them. That was their lot in life: uncertainty. But it made each day that much sweeter, each hardship that much easier to bear. But there was always the silence before the plunge. In many ways, that would have been their biggest regret, whether they were the ones to pass on or the ones who had survived…because it was _always _silence. Because…because _saying _something, say _anything _meant that you had given in…that you were resigning yourself to death. But…but staying silent meant that you would come back to say what needed to be said…

"So…we're agreed." She didn't bother tacking a question mark on the end of her statement.

They nodded in quiet reply.

"You guys had better come back to me." She gave a watery smirk as she stood up and stretched, turned her back so they wouldn't see the hesitation in her eyes.

Naruto did the same, so they wouldn't see the fear. And Sasuke, he kept his eyes straight ahead so that nothing filtered past his arctic veneer…

"I'll see you guys in the morning." She added quietly as she faded from existence, sprinting past them and into the forest.

"You'd better be alive, and in one piece, Teme. You and I still have unfinished business." Naruto told the Uchiha icily before he leapt into the ebony darkness.

There were no words for the Uchiha. What did you say to people who stood by you through it all? What did you say to the one you loved on what could be the eve of your death? To the best friend that had refused to quit on him, even when he had quit on himself?

There were no words; only a silent promise: He would come back.

TBC


	4. Letter from the Author

To my readers,

I understand that updates have been slow for a while now and I bet your indulgence there. I am a pre-med student, taking several advanced college courses and volunteering shifts that are sometimes in excess of forty hours a week, on top of a full fifteen credit hour load. I have a very limited amount of free time, much of which is spent during what I can to catch up on the outrageous amount of work I have as a fanfiction author, a manga editor, and a personal beta for a number of other writers. I am sorry that waits have been so long, some in excess of a year now. I have NOT abandoned any of them, though I do not blame you if you do. However, I do not appreciate condescending, demanding, and rude reviews. I am well aware that it's taking me a while to get things together. For those of you who don't know this, many of these hiatuses, so to speak, began following the death of my grandfather, subsequent disbanding of my family, and the loss of a number of very important friendships. My sister also ran away during this time, and frequently flip flops between begging to come home and threatening to attack us with lethal force. I AM very, very sorry that things are taking so long. I am honestly doing the best that I can, and I very much appreciate and am highly aware of my loyal fans, who are willing to stick with me despite the waits. I thank you for that. For those of you who can't wait, I understand and I apologize. The nasty reviews, however, won't make things happen any faster.

With love,

YuhiSakura.


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